After rattling off seven straight wins, including a series sweep over Clemson, NC State baseball is losing its way. The Wolfpack dropped its third game in a row, falling 10-3 at Miami and officially dropping its second ACC series of the year.
Just one week ago, the Wolfpack (30-15, 15-8 ACC) sat atop the ACC standings and appeared to be a strong candidate to host a regional in the NCAA Tournament. Now the Pack is facing an uphill battle to host, although it is still an achievable goal. Meanwhile, the Hurricanes (29-18, 14-9 ACC) are red hot and made NC State just the latest team to hit the buzzsaw. With the win, the Canes are winners of five straight series and will look for a sweep tomorrow.
Miami’s starting pitcher, AJ Ciscar, made short work of the Wolfpack’s bats all night. Going 6.2 innings, the Hurricane freshman pitched an impressive outing with six strikeouts and just five hits. NC State’s best chance of getting on base actually came from Ciscar’s tendency to hit batters with pitches, which he did three times.
Ciscar’s first hit by pitch proved to be disastrous for NC State. With sophomore first baseman Chris McHugh at the plate, Ciscar missed inside and accidentally nailed McHugh near his wrist. Shortly thereafter, McHugh exited the game and freshman first baseman Brandon Novy took his spot in the lineup. Along with regrouping after the loss, one of the Wolfpack’s top needs is for McHugh to be available soon as he’s an impact bat for the red-and-white.
The Wolfpack only scored once on Ciscar with a third inning run for freshman center fielder Ty Head. Junior left fielder Josh Hogue managed to tap a line drive into the outfield that looked like a routine single. However, a throwing error allowed Hogue to reach second and Head to go from first base all the way home, scoring the Wolfpack’s lone run of the evening.
The Hurricanes emphatically responded to NC State’s run. With one run in the first, Miami broke a tie game in the bottom of the third with a pair of runs. With three hits, including a double from Miami’s Daniel Cuvet, the Canes jumped ahead for good then buried the Pack alive for the rest of the game. Cuvet proved to be especially dangerous against the Wolfpack with two doubles, three RBIs and two walks.
Miami was just getting started with its 3-1 lead after three innings. The Canes broke open the game in the fourth inning with five runs. NC State pitcher Heath Andrews fell apart in the frame, allowing the Canes to load the bases. An error by Novy and a walk from Andrews scored two unnecessary runs for the home squad. A double from the Canes proved to be the final nail in the coffin for Andrews’ performance and scored one more before the Pack turned to its bullpen, which immediately gave up a single and a run to make it 8-1 after four innings.
The Wolfpack floundered away the rest of the game, failing to score until the top of the ninth, when it was far too late to mount a comeback. The bullpen did stabilize things for NC State, holding the Hurricanes scoreless in the fifth, sixth and seventh innings. Sophomore pitcher Cooper Consiglio saw the most action, throwing 2.2 innings and earning four strikeouts.
The loss further demonstrates NC State’s reliance on home field advantage. When playing at Doak Field, the Wolfpack is 21-7 and has not lost a series. However, the Wolfpack is just 9-8 away from home, with series losses to Duke and Miami, along with an 0-3 showing at the Jax Baseball Classic early in the season. While trends can change on a dime, especially in a sport as volatile as baseball, it highlights the importance of securing home regional in the NCAA Tournament for NC State to see postseason success. To earn a regional host however, NC State must finish the season strong.
NC State baseball will attempt to avoid a series sweep and a fourth straight loss tomorrow when it faces Miami one more time. The Pack and Canes will meet at noon with streaming available on ACC Network Extra.
